Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries said on Tuesday it has signed a contract with Japan Suiso Energy to build the ‘world’s largest,’ as it claims, liquefied hydrogen carrier with a capacity of 40,000 m3.

The vessel will be built at Kawasaki’s Sakaide Works in Sakaide City, Kagawa Prefecture.

The liquefied hydrogen carrier is expected to have an overall length of about 250 meters, a molded breadth of 35 meters and a fully loaded summer draft of 8.50 meters, with a sea speed of around 18 knots.

It will be classed by ClassNK and registered in Japan.

JSE is the project operator for the new energy and industrial technology development organization (NEDO) green innovation fund project: Liquefied hydrogen supply chain commercialization demonstration which plans to demonstrate by the fiscal year 2030 the ship-to-base loading and unloading of liquefied hydrogen and conduct trials under ocean-going conditions.

The company said the new vessel is designed to meet anticipated global demand for hydrogen in the 2030s and support the development of the future hydrogen supply chain.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries built a liquefied hydrogen carrier, the 1250 m3 capacity Suiso Frontier, in 2021.

In addition, it established the Hy touch Kobe, a liquefied hydrogen receiving demonstration terminal.

It also participated in the pilot demonstration of loading/unloading and transportation of liquefied hydrogen between Japan and Australia in 2022.